Lou Costello just didn't get it. When Bud Abbott was asked by Lou who
the baseball players were -- Abbott gave Costello the correct response.
But because the players on the baseball team had such "odd"
names he became confused and psychologically disoriented. Confusion resulted
because the two held different understandings. Likewise in our relations
with the "New Russia" we have to be careful we understand their
"mindset" if we wish to avoid confusion or deception.

I learned in my youth the consequences of deception. While still a teenager,
I witnessed several friends fall prey to their overly trusting natures
and the machinations of cleverly designed Ponzi schemes where they lost
hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Remarkably, even as the schemes were
exposed, evidence was documented, testimonies borne, and convictions ordered,
several of the victims continued to maintain that ill will was never the
intent.

It is probably our trusting human nature or the desire to follow scriptural
admonition not to judge, that causes us to reject the thought that "nice
men" are capable of evil deeds. We forget that the admonition not
to judge contains the proviso that if we "must judge, judge righteous
judgment." Sometimes we are required to judge, and if we judge poorly,
it can cost us dearly, not just in money, but in loss of life and liberty
as well.

How well have we judged the character and intent of the "new"
Russia for instance? Have we carefully examined all the evidence and considered
all the testimonies of those who have borne witness that things haven't
really changed in Russia, that our continued aid to them is placing our
liberties in jeopardy?

One voice which has consistently raised a hue and cry is that of former
KGB agent Anatoliy Golitsysn who tried in vain, from the 1960's, clear
up to the present, to alert the West that the upcoming Soviet "tactical
Shift," which included a preplanned dismemberment of the Old Soviet
Empire (1), was coming from a different mindset than ours--a plan deeply
rooted in Marxist-Leninist ideology. He ought to know--he was there --
in the planning stages and once shared their thinking.

This dismemberment, which he testified was decided upon as far back as
1957, would not be a retreat or falling away from communism, as it was
designed to appear and as so many believe, but actually would be setting
the stage for the most aggressive, dangerous, and advanced stage of communism
yet presented to the West.

Because of this danger we need to be asking the correct questions--if
we are to judge righteously. As far as who was on first base when the
Soviet Union collapsed.

Yevgenia Albats, in her book, "A State Within A State" documents
that not only was Perestroika KGB inspired but that KGB agents, but since
the "fall" of the old Soviet Union, have managed to worm their
way into the strategically important top positions in the "new"
Russia, where they now orchestrate policy behind the scenes (2).

Incredibly, rather than a decrease in the number of KGB agents (now renamed
the FSB), under freedom lover Boris Yeltsin, their numbers have mushroomed
considerably.

They now occupy "key posts in the Kremlin and the government, the
arms industry and the media" (3) and have "continued . . . to
penetrate Western Societies with a vast spy network" (4).

Russian spying and intelligence operations against the US and the West,
have alarmingly escalated, over and above pre-demise levels, as have recruitment,
training and placement of intelligence operatives. These include both
long-term espionage and intelligence officers known as "illegals"
or "sleepers" who blend into western society and wait for years
until they are needed. And then there are the "legal" spies
who work under cover of diplomatic immunity (5).

Yet, in spite of these revelations and because of their mindset the rest
of the world believes that the Soviet Union is dead, buried and never
to be resurrected, and her military but a shambles of her former self.
But the leaders of the "New Russia" have a different worldview.
Their reality is different. They view the world through Marxist-Leninist
dialectical eyeglasses. To the Russians "the real perestroika concerns
the restructuring of the Western mind--a radically rewiring of the thought
processes, worldview and perception of reality" (6) so that Russia
is no longer deemed an enemy, that they are just like us.

Sometimes we get lucky and catch glimpses of their true nature. Just
a few weeks ago and for the second time in six months the FBI nabbed and
deported an SVR (Russian Foreign Intelligence Service) officer working
his craft at the United Nations (7). Additionally, Russian electronic
spy ships were sent to the Balkan region to gather US and NATO intelligence
during the US led invasion (8). Or when last week, in a test of our defenses
and for the first time in over a decade, two TU95 Bear Bombers came within
striking distance of the United States and had to be escorted by four
F15 fighters (9).

For the most part though we believe Russia's feigned weakness while the
reality is the Russian military is upgrading and modernizing. Despite
propaganda to the contrary their latest Naval, Army and Air Force weaponry
is considered world class and "well situated for the 21st century
(10). Their latest multipurpose warship, the Admiral Chabenko, for one
example, is comparable to or exceeds the finest similar ships of the US
Navy.

But Deception continues to be the order of the day. J. R. Nyquist noting
that "Russia's deceptiveness especially during Yeltsin's presidency
is well documented" and that they are well "ahead of America
in lethal biological and chemical weapons (11). Further Russia currently
has over 7000 strategic nuclear weapons and an unknown quantity of tactical
nuclear weapons while we are dismantling ours and abandoning our missile
defenses.

While pretending weakness in their own military, Russia continues to
be major arms exporters throughout the world. They currently export arms
to over 60 countries such as the $100 Million Dollar deal they signed
with Saddam Hussein to modernize and bolster his air defenses or the continued
support they give to Afgani Rebels. Russian sales of SU and MIG aircraft
alone has recently exceeded several billion US dollars (12).

Because of our belief that the Russians are just like us we are amazingly
allowing our elected officials to finance, with loans guaranteed by the
US taxpayer, the rope, to be used for our future hanging. In 1998, for
instance, we loaned millions of dollars to Rosvoorouzhenie, a State controlled
arms exporter. Much of this money loaned flows into research and development
where they are not adverse to using "unorthodox" (13) means
of weapons testing. Such "unorthodox" means as the "Lazing"
(fired on by Lasers) which one US Naval Intelligence Officer and his Canadian
pilot suffered while conducting surveillance near a Russian "Merchant
Ship," the "Kapitan Man," not too long ago--both suffering
irreparable eye damage.

Fifteen years ago, former KGB agent, Anatoliy Golitsyn tried in vain
to warn the gullible and trusting west of the true nature and worldview
of these KGB con-men getting ready to implement their "grand deception."
A deception He warned that would have consequences for evil greater than
that of the Great October Revolution of 1917. Behind the smiling faces
of Gorbachev, Yeltsin and others a different mindset was at work. These
smiling faces were actually "zealous revolutionaries" committed
to a "long range policy" of Marxist-Leninist ideology (14).

Without realizing it, we are engaged in a war in which these committed
ideologues consider themselves as the eventual and inevitable victors.
To win this war, Lenin taught that his disciples should be masters of
deception and be willing to resort to "any trick, ruse or illegal
method" (15). Lenin further taught that his followers to be masters
of and firmly committed to Dialectics--or the ability to appear to be
heading in a different direction than the intended goal. Dialectics, the
soul of

Marxism, according to Stalin, is the mindset which has the ability to
neutralize the opposition and render them helpless.

Because of America's mindset that day of neutralization and helplessness
is fast approaching. It is past time that we not only ask, "Who is
on first?" but that we examine the unchanging ideology of their leaders.
Failure to do so will result in the same confusion and psychological disorientation
as that suffered by Lou Costello--only with far worse consequences.

Next week this series continues with Glasnost-Perestroika: Marxist-Leninist
Holy War